Record-strip-feeding mechanism of automatic type-casting or other machines.



Patented May. 20, |902.A

, J. S. BANCROFT. RECORD STRIP'FEEDING MECHANISM 0F AUTOMATIC TYPE CASTING 0R OTHER MACHINES.

(Application lled Dec. 8, 1901.)

(no Mdem UNITED STATES- r-ATENT JoHN sELLEHsBANoEoI-"r, oE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR,

BY MESNE Ass1eNMENTs, To LANs'roN MoNo'rYPE MACHINE COMPANY,

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF VIR.-

fRI-:coRnsTRiP-FEEDING MECHANISM AoF'AuToMATIc TYPE-cAsU'Ne-oRoT-HER MACHINES.

srEoIEroATION forming perf of Letters Patent No, 700,291, dated May 2o, 1902. Applicafitniieanepemte;3,1901. sentirme-1,543. i-Nomoai.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I,``JoHN SELLERS BAN- CROET, residing at Philadelphia,in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Record-Strip-Feeding Mechanism of Automatic Type-Casting o r other Machines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of.

tion, removal, or readjustment ofthe latten To this end `the invention consists in the employment of twobars or rollers,one .on each side of the cross-bar, freely suspended,

so as to gravitate toward Asaid cross-bar and engage the strip on opposite sides thereofin-` termediate the supply and winding spools to 3o hold the strip flat and in proper relation to the cross-bar and feeding devices,and in connecting the supports of said bars or rollers to the air-bar in such manner that the elevation of the latter to uncover the strip will au- 3 5 tomatically effect a withdrawalv ofl said bars.

or rollers, thereby facilitating the insertion or removal of the record-strip.

A preferred -embodiment ofthe invention will rstbe described,and the novel features 4o thereof pointed out in the claims,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation,andFig.l 2 a vertical section, of a portion of the paper-feed with the improvements applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the effect of elevating the air-bar. Fig. 4: is a view in perspective of the roll-hanger complete, the rolls being omitted. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the manner of eecting the `connection between the hangers. 5o

Similar figures in the several views denote like parts. v i

The paper-feed mechanism with which the improvements are 'shown associated is that of Patent No. 674,362. d frame; 2, the` cross-bar containing the airports; 3, the 'air-bar pivoted Von shaft 4; 5, n the sleeve on said shaft-carrying arms; 7,' the connecting-rodsbetween arms 6 and the v air-bar;8,thecompressionsprings interposed 6o between the .air-bear, and farms 6,'and V9` the driving-link detachably connected to one of the arms v6. f The record-stripis-drawn over thecrossbar by the pin-Wheel-feeding devices, the lat- 6 5` ter acting to-intermittingly advance the strip ,while the air-bar is elevated and to hold the strip stationary, with the signals orperforations in line with the ports, while the air-bar Isin its lowered position. v The stripis drawn 7o Y from-'a supply-spool on one side of the crossbar and delivered to a winding-spool on the other. l y

It is essential that the record-strip be so adjusted relatively to its feeding devices that 7' 5 the signals or perforations will register with the series of air-ports or other controlling devices when the strip is at rest and that this relation shall be preserved during successive feed movements, and in order that this 8o adjustment may be readily and quickly per-V formed, as well as to facilitate the insertion and removal of the strip and the shifting from one sectionthereof to another, the feedwheelsare mounted to project their pins radially beyond-'thefsurface of the cross-bar, and the air-balais arranged so that it can be swung back from the cross-bar. to-uneover the latter, thereby affording ampleopportunity for the placing of the strip `in proper re- 79165;

lation to the feeding: devices. The facilities thus afforded for manipulating the recordstrip would be ample for the purpose if the material employed was of uniform teXture,so that it would retain its original dimensions and lie perfectly hat upon the cross-bar and pinl designates the 55` wheels; but experience has demonstrated that it is impracticable to procure paper suitable for the purpose which will not under the conditions of use develop at diiferent and irregular intervals slight variations in dimensions, resulting in wrinkles or unequal extension or contraction of the margins.

The tension on the strip as developed between the supply and winding spools is substantially uniform in amount,but is unequally distributed owing to these variations in dimensions throughout different portions of the material, with the result that at times one margin will be held tightly in contact with the cross-bar or pin-wheel, while the opposite margin is so loose that it may escape from the control of the pin wheel on that side, thereby destroyingr registry. To meet and overcome this defect is the primary object of the present improvement.

Upon opposite sides of the cross-bar or support 2 and extending longitudinally thereof are arranged two rods or rollers 10 11 for engagin g the record-strip intermediate the crossbar' and the supply and winding spool, respectively. Each roller is supported in an independenthanger 12 13, pivotally supported in a manner to cause its roller to gravitate toward the record-strip,thus serving not alone as a supplemental tension device, but also as a floating tension to hold the section of the strip lying between the rollers in close contact with the peripheries of the pin-wheels, thus insuring the entrance and engagement ofthe pins in the, marginal feed perfor-ations of the strip.

In the preferred form of embodiment shown the hangers 12 13 each comprise two plates or frames independently pivoted at their upper ends upon a rod 1i, the latter located above and intermediate the vertical walls of the cross-bar.

Each rollis provided with two circumferential grooves 15, and the hangers are formed with elongated bearings 1G, open on one side for the reception of the rolls and provided with oisets 17 cooperating with the circumference of the rolls to retain them in position. By this means each roll is supported in a manner to cause it to gravitate toward one side of the cross-bar and at the same time is free to yield laterally at either or both ends in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the record-strip, thus insuring equal action across the latter and holding it in proper relation to the cross-bar and feeding devices.

To automatically effect the withdrawal of the rollers from the cross-bar when the airbar is withdrawn or thrown back, as seen in Fig. 3, as well as to adapt the attachment to existing machines, the rod 121, upon which the hangers are pivoted, is attached to ears 1S, formed on horizontal extensions 19 of a plate 20. This plate 20 forms the base of the attachment, and it is detachably secured to the air-bar and its connections, as by curvingA the rear portion to partially embrace sleeve 5, while the horizontal extensions 19 are perforated for the reception and passage of connecting-rods 7. The compression-springs S bear against plate 2O and retain it in position, so that it will follow the motions of the air-bar, and when the latter is elevated, as in Fig. 3, to uncover' the cross-bar and feedwheels it will engage and elevate the front hangers 13.

To the side pieces of frame 1 and on an axis 24 eccentric to that of the air-bar are pivotally attached the inner ends of two links 21, whose outer or opposite ends are connected to arod greater stability and uniformity in action. This rod 22 projects through openings 23 in the rear hanger 12, said openings being to one side of rod 14: and enough larger than rod 22 to permit the requisite limited movements of hanger 12 when dependent with its roller operating upon the record-strip. By reason of the difference in the centers aboutwhich rods 14 and 22 are compelled to turn when the air-bar is swung back rod 22 by its engagement with hangers 12 will cause the latter to also swing` outward and away from the cross -bar and feed wheels, thereby completely uncovering those members and `affording free access thereto. Thus the lifting of the air-bar not only removes the pressure of rollers 10 11 from the strip, but it automatically effects their withdrawal to a point where they will not interfere with the placing or removal of the recordstrip.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In arecord-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the cross-bar, pin-wheels and air-bar,- of two tension-rollers, the one in front and the other in rear of the crossbar and both gravitating toward said crossbar; substantially as described.

2. In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the cross-bar, feed-wheels and air-bar,- of two tension-rollers, one in front and the other in rear of the cross-bar, said rollers being supported to gravitate to-V ward the cross-bar at points below the axis of the feed-wheels; substantially as described.

3. In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the cross-bar, feed-wheels and movable air-bar, of two gravitating tension-rolls located on opposite sides of the crossbar and supported so as to permit lateral displacement of either or both ends under the action of the record-strip, substantially as dcscribed.

4. In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the cross-bar, feed-wheels and pivoted air-bar, of tension-rolls for engaging the record-strip on opposite sides of the feed wheels and devices intermediate said airbar and tension-rolls for automatically A single link 2l might answer the purpose, but two are preferred, as insuring- IOO withdrawing the latter to uncover the recordstrip upon the withdrawal `or throwing back of the air-bar, substantially as described.

5. In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the feeding devices and cross-bar and the air-bar movable toward and from the latter, of twoJ-hangers pivotally' mounted upon the air-bar and each supporting a` roller in position 'to engage the recordstrip on one side of the feeding devices; substantially as described.

6. In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the pivoted air-bar, of two supplemental tension-rolls and hangers for said rolls each comprising two independent supporting;plates separately and-mediately pivoted upon the air-bar, to permit lateral displacement of each roll at either end thereof; substantially as described.

7. In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the combination with the cross-bar. feed-Wheels and laterally-movable air-bar, of `oating or supplemental tension-rolls each loosely journaled in a hanger pivotally connected to the air-bar at a point intermediate the front and rear ,walls of the air-bar, whereby said rolls are caused to approach by gravity to exert pressure upon the record-'strip'and to yield v laterally at either end, substantially. as described.- J

8. 'Ina record-strip-feed mechanism the combinationrwith the pivoted air-bar, of a plate detach'ably applied thereto, a rod supported on said plate, a dependent hanger piv-l otally attached to said rod at a point to one side of the axis of the air-bane. roll mounted in said hanger, and a link or links pivotally connected to the frame and hanger and oper.- atingto swingthe latter upon its supportingrod as the air-bar is withdrawn from the cross.- bar; substantially as described.

- 9. -In a record-strip-feeding mechanism the j combination of the following elements,` to wit: a cross-bar; feed-wheels a/pivoted air-bar; two hangers, each carrying a tension-roll,` dependent froman'd pivotally attached to the air-bar, one of said hangers extending over the air-bar in position to' be engaged by the latter when moved away from'the cross-bar;

and a link or links Vconnecting the oppositev hanger to the frame in a manner to cause its elevation when theair-bar is retracted; sub; stantiallyA as described. l

. `10. As a new article of manufacture a supp plemental tension attachment forfrecordstrip-feeding mechanismsuch as described,-

the saine comprising a bed-plate or frame .i adaptedfor attachment to a pivoted air-bar on Vits supports; 'a rod mounted on said frame;

two hangers pivotally suspendedfrom said rod'and eachcomprising two independent*- attachment is-to be applied; substantially as,

described. l y l t JOHN SELLERS BANCROFT. Witnesses:

FRANK G. GRIER, E. R.A HARPER. 

